Remark on Madhuri: Netflix served legal notice over 15-year-old episode of 'The Big Bang Theory'

Netflix was served with a legal notice over an episode that originally aired in 2008 after an Indian social activist and political analyst cited “derogatory” and “offensive” remarks against Bollywood actor Madhuri Dixit Nene in ‘The Big Bang Theory’, reported Times of India on Monday.

Mithun Vijay Kumar sent a legal notice to Netflix, demanding removal of Season 2’s opening episode in which the character of Raj Koothrapalli, played by Kunal Nayyar, and Jim Parsons, who plays Sheldon Cooper, compare Bollywood actresses Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Madhuri Dixit Nene.

In the scene, Sheldon calls Aishwarya “a poor man’s Madhuri Dixit”. Koothrapalli responds by saying that “Aishwarya Rai is a goddess. By comparison, Madhuri Dixit is a leprous prostitute”.

The hugely-popular show, which is still available on Netflix, ended in May 2019 after running for 12 seasons.

Kumar, in his notice, however, said the character played by Kunal Nayyar “insults the modesty of Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit by referring to her as a ‘leprous prostitute’”. “This is highly derogatory and offensive towards Indian culture and women,” he stated in the notice he shared on his Twitter profile.

“It is important to hold companies like Netflix accountable for their actions and to ensure that they are sensitive to the cultural values and sentiments of the communities they serve. I strongly believe that streaming service providers have a responsibility to carefully curate the content that they offer on their platforms,” he was separately quoted as saying in a press release by Times of India.

“It is their duty to ensure that the material they present does not include derogatory, offensive, or defamatory content. I was deeply troubled by the use of a derogatory term in one of the shows on Netflix - Big Bang Theory. This term was used in reference to the acclaimed actress Madhuri Dixit, and it was not only offensive and deeply hurtful but also showed a lack of regard for her dignity,” added the report.

“I strongly believe that streaming service providers must take such issues seriously and act quickly to address any instances of offensive or defamatory content. Furthermore, streaming service providers should be proactive in preventing such content from being streamed. This can be achieved through clear guidelines and rigorous screening processes for all the content published.”

“Ultimately, streaming services have a significant influence over the content that is consumed by millions of individuals, and with this influence comes a responsibility to ensure that the content they offer is respectful, inclusive, and free from harmful stereotypes. I hope that this incident will serve as a wake-up call to all streaming services providers to work towards creating a more equitable and respectful media landscape.”

‘The Big Bang Theory’

Despite early mixed reviews, seven seasons of the show were ranked within the top ten of the final season ratings, and it ultimately reached the top spot in its eleventh season.

The show was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series from 2011 to 2014 and won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series four times for Parsons who played Sheldon.

Overall, it won seven Emmy Awards from 46 nominations. Parsons also won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Comedy Series in 2011.